No Matter What They Say: Discontinued
by Opinionated Asmodeus
Summary: Having been in the Underworld before I should know what it looks like, and it shouldn't look like my bedroom from my childhood. AN: NO UNDERAGE RELATIONS, EVENTUAL YAOI
1. Here We Stand At The Genesis

Having been in the Underworld before I _should_ know what it looks like and it shouldn't look like my fucking bedroom from my childhood. The Underworld also has quite a distinct smell to it, one that's between a burning trash heap and something long dead and _that_ is notably missing from whatever this is… Which sure as shit isn't the Underworld, I decide after a good long look around the room. Maybe some weird ass dream but a decisively hard pinch on my forearm dissolves that notion, it assures me that I am very much awake…and very much alone.

I frown as I turn, doing a three-sixty pan of the room—_my childhood bedroom_—looking for my brother who shoulda been behind me, only he is not here. Not in _my bedroom_ at least. It takes me a moment to realize that I _can_ sense him, faintly, and he is moving towards me.

Whatever the fuck this thing is I'm almost certain that he's behind it—as he had grown the damned Qliphoth on our childhood home's doorstep—and anger swells up inside of me at the thought of this betrayal. I call on my Devil Sword Dante as I whirl around to face the door, just as he bursts through it, only my sword doesn't come. Then there's the fact that Vergil looks nothing like he had on top of the Qliphoth, instead he's a goddamn kid and I…I'm exactly the same height as him.

"What the fuck did you do this time?!" I shout as I launch myself at him, not caring that I don't have access to my Devil Sword, that I don't have any of my Devil Arms—my fists are more that enough to beat my brother's ass—not caring at all that we look like fucking kids, and I just barely manage to catch him on his chin as he twists out of the way.

Vergil reflexively snarls at me, his eyes flashing warily as he takes a step back to put some distance between us. "I don't know all that you apparently think I'm capable of, Dante, but something of _this_ caliber isn't within my abilities," he states in a low, partially growled tone. It sounds just a bit weird cuz he sounds the age that he looks, which seems to be about seven, but there is no mistaking his tone, not with the growl edging it. "And why on earth would I do something that would affect _us_ in such a manner, little brother?"

I know that he's right, on some deeper level, but after everything I've been through because of him, how he had disappeared on me right before we had turned eighteen, after fucking Temen-ni-gru, goddamn Mallet Island and the absolute shit show that we had just gotten through, I'm not letting go of my anger so easily. "Like you _ever_ gave a damn about me, you fucking asshole! All you cared about was getting more power to-"

"Protect you! I did **everything** for you, Dante! All of it was so I could keep you safe from Mundus and every other demon out there hunting us down because of our father!" He actually raises his voice for once and I'm so stunned by it that it takes me a moment to process the words, to process that in his own fucked up way that he really does care about me. "You were-still are my _everything_, Dante, and I regret all that you had to go through because I wasn't _strong_ enough."

A disconcerting silence settles over us in the time I am processing—still processing his words, how broken his voice had sounded and the way his expression had twisted with such remorse—and the silence is nearly deafening in its totality. I can only stare at my brother, finding it so uncharacteristic of him—just like the yelling—that my anger slips away, my own expression becoming stricken as all I am left with is confusion and hurt.

"**What** is going on in here, boys?" The voice that breaks the silence has my blood turning into ice and Vergil is likewise affected, his face going pale as panic blooms in his eyes. Neither of us move because with that voice comes an old, familiar presence that feels _suffocating_. "Vergil." My brother flinches at the sound of his own name, his eyes going wide as panic becomes full blown fear. "Dante." I find myself flinching as well but I turn to look at what should be impossible.

"Well shit." I can almost hear the grimace that Vergil gives while I stare at our very alive father who is looking between us with a scowl. His gaze cuts to me at my choice of words but I'm not of the mind to give a damn because he _should_ be dead. Or vanished. Or whatever the hell had happened to him. "You know what, Verge, you are absolutely right. You wouldn't do something like _this_…but Mundus would."

It's like the temperature drops as our should-be-dead-or-something-like-it father narrows his eyes at the mention of Mundus' name, his human form twisting into the demon one that he almost never took around us. "You will start speaking **now**."

It takes a considerable amount of effort to remain standing in the wake of The Legendary Dark Knight's oppressive aura. There is no thought of running. Fighting him in our current states, with no weapons between us and no access to our Devil Triggers, would be outright suicide and _that_ isn't a thought that crosses my mind either. Instead I find myself wanting to do as he has instructed, as he has ordered us.

"So, uh, this might sound crazy but we were forty-three years old about ten minutes ago." I'm not sure I should say much more than that just yet, especially considering what we had just left behind us and the fact that Vergil had been the primary cause of it. Despite how hurt I am, how confused and conflicted I am over the fact that he had been trying to protect me, I cannot bring myself to reveal what he had done—none of it—to our father. Whatever this is I cannot betray my brother. "And you and mom have been dead for thirty-five years."

There is a moment of breathless silence as father's energy bears down on us even further, making both of us drop to our knees and I'm almost certain that this is how we'll die. In the blink of an eye, however, it lifts away from us completely and I suck in a lungful of air before I even attempt to stand again. My brother is pale and shaking when I glance over at him and I am hit with the sudden urge to go over to him.

I hesitate, biting at the inside of my lower lip as I watch Vergil for a few seconds before I return my attention to father. He looks between both of us with his pupil-less gaze, the scarlet slits that make up his irises burning bright, and then his expression starts to soften as he resumes his human form. "Start from…the beginning."

We sit in silence afterwards, the echoes of our painful past replaying in my mind as I numbly lean against my headboard while Vergil has chosen to sit on the foot of the bed, refusing to look in my direction. This silence is somehow worse, but then maybe it's because my thoughts are so loud, louder than they've ever been, and I want nothing more than to disappear in this moment. I want them to be quiet, like how Vergil and our father is quiet, before they swallow me up.

"_You were-still are my __**everything**__, Dante, and I regret all that you had to go through because I wasn't __**strong**__ enough."_

Why do those words resurface now? Why do they crowd out the rest of my thoughts? I don't want to think about them, I don't want the ache that they bring to my heart, knowing that if things had been different, if I had maybe tried a little harder, if I had been stronger too, that maybe I could have taken that fall with my brother. That I should have taken that fall with my brother. My own _everything_, my other half that I had to kill with my own hands.

"This changes things." Father finally breaks the silence, though it's not much of a reprieve from my thoughts, and I shift my focus onto him. His expression has darkened again, pale blue eyes like chips of ice as he regards both of us. "I will gauge your skills and then from there I will start training both of you…after today. It _is_ your seventh birthday after all, and your mother has been working hard on the preparations for it." He gives us both another look, eyes a glowing crimson. "So you both will be attending and you will **not** speak a word of this to your mother. Ever."

I rather not go but there is no getting out of this. "Yes, sir," I half mutter, and Vergil echoes me a half-second later, his voice much clearer than my own. I give my brother a passing glance, meeting his gaze for a brief second and my thoughts seem to grow significantly louder.

"You have an hour, so use that time to get ready and do not be late." With those words our father takes his leave, and then it's just me and Vergil.

"Dante…" I slide my gaze back to Vergil, a smile slipping in place as I regard him while trying to ignore his words from earlier.

"Dad told us to get ready for the party so we shouldn't waste time, big bro." My smile and words seem to be convincing enough, even if I feel like I'm seconds away from letting this mask crack, because Vergil doesn't say anything. He just looks at me a little too long before he climbs off of my bed and starts for the door.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," Vergil says softly as he reaches the doorway, pausing slightly to glance back at me.

"What for?" I _almost_ snap the question out, my voice not completely level, and Vergil gives me a look of curiosity. Shit.

"Didn't you want to keep an eye on me, Dante?" Oh. "And we need to talk anyways."

"There's nothing to talk about and there's no point in keeping an eye on you," I state a little too quickly and Vergil merely arches a brow. "Look, we're here, we're **seven** years old, and mom and dad are both alive. There's no sense in dwelling on the past." I want to mean what I'm saying, I really do, but Vergil seems to buy my excuse at least. "I'll see you at the party," I add, before he can say anything else, and I give him another smile.

"If you are certain." He gives me another look filled with curiosity then leaves, pulling the door shut behind him, once I give a nod. My heart gives a slight lurch and I have to suppress the desperate urge to follow after him. He's not leaving, not like before.

"Fuck," I mutter and flop down onto my back once I'm certain Vergil isn't lingering outside of my door. My eyes sting and my vision blurs slightly, making me give another curse as I furiously rub the forming tears away while trying to tamp down on my emotions.


	2. Oh What I Wouldn't Do For You

I can count the number of times I have truly been terrified on one hand and still have digits left over, including the rather harrowing experience of having to reveal all of my mistakes to father just now. This would be the fourth time that fear has gripped me so thoroughly, but it does not even come close to the second and third times. Dante, my little brother, my beloved, my heart and soul, is the only one capable of invoking a fear in me that is so utterly consuming that I would do _anything_ to keep him safe, yet I have failed in that. I have failed so miserably, and still he doesn't seem to be shaken by it. He has always been so unflappable, even a bit cheeky, in the face of his trials, and through it all he maintains that smile.

So why do I have this feeling of unease that settles like a weight upon my heart as I walk away from Dante's bedroom? What is it that I'm missing? Back atop the Qliphoth he had given that very same smile, yet there had been tears in his eyes. Even as we crossed blades those tears had been present, glimmering like diamond dust in the early morning light, but just now—since we ended up here—there had been no trace of them. He had been angry, and then that fleeting glimpse of anguish right before father had intervened. Could I have imagined them back on the Qliphoth? A trick of the light perhaps?

No. I could not be mistaken in this, not with how closely we had gotten while fighting. Close enough that I could smell them, faint whispers of salt, their scent unique from that of sweat or basal tears. They had been real and now I am pondering as to why they were there in the first place. For what reason would my little brother have to cry? And why the sudden turn around? He had been set in coming with me, _to keep an eye on me_, and now there's no point?

I pause in the middle of the hallway and turn to look back at the tightly shut door to Dante's bedroom with a frown. Even if he doesn't wish to talk there are things that I still have to say to him, things that _need_ to be said. I will not let there be any misunderstandings between us, though the extent of my feelings should have been clear with my outburst. Should it bear repeating then I shall repeat it for as long as is necessary, even if that means for the rest of our days. For today, however, he shall get whatever space he needs.

It is _our_ seventh birthday, yet again, and to cause a scene, especially in front of mother, would be inconceivably _bad_. There would be questions, and with father having expressly forbidding us to reveal anything about our situation to mother… I dare not think of the consequences that would lie in wait for us if we ever burdened her with this knowledge. Then again there would be consequences for hiding this from her, and while I can understand why father would want to keep it from her, doing so would only create more problems. From what I recall, mother was-is a demonologist and very adept at warding, so telling her of what is to come would be beneficial.

"Later," I murmur, giving Dante's bedroom door a parting glance, and head for my own bedroom that is a few scant feet ahead of me. It is unchanged from my memories, something I hadn't stopped to take in when I had realized that we had been separated and had rushed to find my brother. I don't bother to look around even now, finding it unnecessary, and head over to the dresser standing in the corner of the room. All of my clothes are far simpler than what I have come to favor but they shall suffice for now until I can see to my own wardrobe.

Within minutes I have made myself presentable, leaving me with far too much time and very little to do until the party starts. I resist the urge to go check on Dante, instead deciding to go see if mother needs any help finishing up the preparations. The hallways are _perfect_, my recall even more so, and I try to not picture in my mind what they will become in a year's time should we be unable to repel Mundus' attack on our home. _There's no sense in dwelling on the past_ is what Dante had told me, something easier said than done when we've been thrown into our past. There may not be a way to undo whatever had brought us here but I'll be damned if I let things go on as they did before.

"Vergil! You shouldn't be in here yet!" Mother admonishes with just one glance in my direction as I enter the dining room. It takes her a few seconds to fully stop what she is doing and she _looks_ at me again, her lips pursing. Human as she is, her instincts are as sharp as Yamato's edge and I have no doubt that she can feel that something is wrong. "Sweetie?"

How is a seven year old supposed to speak? The moment I open my mouth it will be obvious that I am mentally different from my appearance, but with my decision made to tell her should it even matter? I would rather wait until the festivities are over but then it will always seem like there is never a good time to tell her. "There is something you need to know and it is better if you find out now."

* * *

Mother's disappointment is far different from father's. It cuts deeper, and while it doesn't evoke the same flavor of fear within me, I feel all the more horrible for laying nearly everything bare before her. The only thing I felt that should be left unsaid are my feelings for my twin, despite knowing that she has studied demons extensively and would perhaps understand. It is not out of a sense of shame that I do so, for I am not ashamed of my feelings towards Dante, just that I find it unimportant to tell her in light of everything else.

She takes a moment to wipe under her eyes with a handkerchief, her mascara smearing and staining the once pristine white cloth along with her tears, before she draws herself up in the chair she is seated in, her shoulders squaring. Her undeniable strength shines through even now, eyes alight with a grim determination that doesn't quite swallow up her grief. I can see how it pains her to know that we are so changed, so different from the little boys that she had left to their own devices not even a few hours ago. "I need a moment to process this."

I give a slight dip of my head in acknowledgement and let my attention drift to the unfinished party decorations. "I'll take care of the decorations." Mother doesn't say anything in response, her expression tightening almost imperceptibly as I slide off of my chair and start placing them from memory. It is a simple task that I nearly finish by the time my senses prickle as Dante enters the dining room.

"So you told her anyways," my brother states accusingly with one look at mother. The weight of his gaze is heavy as it settles on me and I pause to return his stare. "Well, that makes things _easier_," he says after a beat with a flash of one of his usual devil-may-care smirks. "Cuz you're a shit liar."

Mother inhales sharply at the expletive while I give him an unimpressed scowl and place the very last of the decorations. I will lie, if absolutely necessary, but never to Dante and certainly not to mother and father. "I find lying distasteful, little brother, and you would do well to curb your language."

"I see that we need to go over proper etiquette again." Mother's voice is frighteningly soft and calm as she speaks, and I can't help the shiver I give in remembrance of how creative she can be with her punishments. "Both of you will attend lessons."

"That would be for the best," father intones flatly as he strides into the dining room and looks directly at me. For a second his irises turn a bright, glowing crimson, his mouth settling into a deep scowl. "You went against my instruction, Vergil."

"And I would do so again if it means staving off Mundus' attack on our next birthday." It takes a great deal of effort to maintain a calm, cool air as I return father's gaze—my instincts clamoring at me to yield to him—but after a few seconds he gives a heavy sigh.

"I intended to tell you once I had assessed their skills tomorrow," he explains as he shifts his gaze to mother, only to flinch at the look she has leveled on him. It is a strange and curious thing to watch father, a demon of legend, cower at the mere look of a human woman, but then mother is not an ordinary human woman.

"We will discuss why you decided to wait to tell me later, Sparda," mother states in that same calm, soft tone, at which father gives another flinch. "For now, let us at least enjoy tonight as much as possible."

I don't know how enjoyable it can be for any of us, the knowledge of what lies ahead is surely a weight that will be on all of our minds. Even Dante's, as much as he doesn't want to dwell on the past, made obvious by the most minuscule of shifts in his expressions. There's flashes of something in his eyes, here and gone far too quick for me to get a read on him, and when he catches me watching him an easy smile curls his lips.


	3. I Will Be Your Sword And Shield

I roll the peas around my plate, earning a pointed look from mom as I do so, then sulkily resign myself to eating them. Half of them vanish within the blink of an eye when she isn't looking, making me pause and look across the table at Vergil. He studiously ignores my questioning gaze as he eats his own food, his pile of peas suspiciously higher. I stare at him for a few seconds longer then return my attention back to my meal, deciding that if he wants to steal some of my vegetables then that is fine with me. He isn't going to get a thank you for it though.

I just barely manage to finish off the accursed peas when the awkward and strained silence that has persisted throughout the entire dinner is broken by mom softly clearing her throat. "I know how hard this must be for both of you—I certainly find it difficult myself—but there are still rules and boundaries in this household that you will follow regardless of how old you were beforehand. I hope I do not need to remind you of what those rules are-" she pauses here and looks directly at me, her lips pursing slightly. "-and the consequences of breaking said rules. There _will_ be some additional rules as well, which we will go over during your lessons tomorrow."

"Don't we have school tomorrow?" Vergil's question has me blinking in confusion for a few seconds because the idea of going to school—having to **go** to school—hasn't even crossed my mind. It seems _pointless_ because I can do what… I've… oh. Right. Can't hunt demons for a living.

Mom looks at father, her brows furrowing as she seems to consider the question. "There is much that your mother and I still need to discuss-," father starts with a faint frown after the silent look he shares with her. "-but given the circumstances it would be best to homeschool both of you."

I shouldn't be surprised that they want us to continue with our education—to them we're still just kids—but I am. Vergil isn't even bothered by it at all, which isn't surprising since he always had his nose stuck in a book back when we had actually been seven. "Do we have to do the whole school thing?"

"Yes." Mom's answer is immediate and curt, her gaze narrowing slightly as she focuses solely on me. "We will address this tomorrow." _With everything else_ hangs in the air unspoken, like a weight. After a beat she sighs and her gaze softens, a sad smile going across her face. "I'm sorry, this is-"

"-a lot to take in and process. You look at us and see _your children_, can't quite grasp what we have gone through as much as you would like to because why should you? We still look like _your children_ so you want to deny it, but you can't because you _know_ that we are different—you would have known something was off even if you hadn't been told—so you have no other choice but to accept the awful truth of this situation." Vergil is decisively cold with his explanation, his gaze flat as he looks from mom to father and then back down at his emptied plate. "Should Mundus be behind _this_ I suspect that it was an attempt to remove us from the equation and not to place us in our younger bodies with our memories and knowledge intact."

"Well, the joke's on him then cuz we're not out of the equation **and** he still has Nero to deal with," I quip with a grin only to receive a strangely pained look from Vergil.

"There is a high possibility that Nero will cease to exist." There is a note of regret and something else—something dark—in my brother's voice as he admits this but I focus on the regret. He has to be joking, right? Nero **can't** just cease to exist. He just…how? "Given that I do not intend to repeat certain _decisions_ it could very well remove him from existence completely if this is a temporal loop and not some alternate reality."

The look that Vergil gives me is almost indescribable, so filled with regret and pain that it has my breath catching in my throat and, oh, there is no mistaking what he means. I can't help the sliver of happiness I feel knowing that he won't be leaving me again yet at the same time I resent him for it a whole lot more. Nero _is_ a great kid, maybe a bit rough around the edges, but more importantly he's family. "Verge, he's your kid, he's **family**. You-"

"I was drugged and raped!" Vergil tears his gaze away from mine and glares down at his plate as his cheeks darken.

For the span of several heartbeats it is deathly quiet and then all I can hear is a dull roar in my ears, like a rushing river, as an icy cold rage consumes me. Something inside of me _snaps_ and with a snarl my demonic energy surges up, free of whatever had been keeping it at bay. In the blink of an eye I am out of my seat and halfway across the dining room, every single one of my instincts demanding that I go find whoever had _dared_ to commit this sin against **my** other half and spill their blood.

I barely make it to the doorway when I'm very suddenly snatched up into the air by the back of my neck. The grip on me is firm and unwavering, even when I reach up and sink my claws into whatever has a hold of me, a vicious growl in my throat. A low, deep snarl sounds and I'm swung around so that I'm face to face with our father, his human guise dispelled. "Dante! Calm yourself!"

"Let me go!" I hiss out with my fangs bared at him then kick at his head with all of my strength, my left foot connecting with a resounding smack. His head turns slightly with the force of my kick but father is otherwise unfazed.

"You will calm yourself!" Father snarls at me, his own fangs bared as he exerts his energy over me in an attempt to make me yield.

I narrow my eyes and growl in response, refusing to submit so long as the person who had violated my brother is out there breathing. That it was Nero's mother isn't even registering with me at this point. All that matters is that I protect what is mine by whatever means necessary and despite our issues Vergil is still very much mine. "I said let me go!" I dig my claws further into his wrist in an effort to get him to loosen his grasp on me and kick out at him again, missing as he moves me out of range from his face.

"Dante! Cease this foolishness at once!" Vergil's command is sharp and very nearly has me stopping my struggle against the hold father has on me. I can't see him from where I'm being dangled in the air but by his tone I know that he's scowling.

"Foolishness, Vergil? What's so foolish about wanting to protect what's mine?!" I snarl out and give a hard flap of my wings as I swing myself bodily up in an effort to get free. Whether it's due to the extra momentum or because father's grip loosened a fraction at my near-screamed question I flip out of his grasp and land in a crouch. I'm aware enough of my surroundings to know that the door is to my left so before anyone has a chance to react I dart out into the hallway and start racing for the foyer.

A charge pulses through the air around me not even seconds later followed by a surge of my brother's demonic energy and there's no doubt that he's managed to Trigger as well. Knowing just how quickly Vergil can move I push myself to go faster, not daring to glance over my shoulder to check for him or father. They haven't given chase yet, something I would have normally found strange but currently do not think on.

I skid to a halt as I enter the foyer, my senses prickling as a very familiar tear in the fabric of reality appears in front of the doors leading outside. What steps out of the portal is definitely my brother though it's in a form of Devil Trigger that I don't immediately recognize and, more importantly, he has Yamato. I ignore the impulse to stop and study this unfamiliar form, instead dropping down into a crouch while I bare my teeth and growl at him.

"Don't do this, Dante." Vergil's tone is almost a plea as he sheathes Yamato, the portal winking out of existence with no sign of father. I risk a glance down the hallway to see if he's coming from that way but it's clear. "It's just you and me, little brother."

My gaze snaps back to my brother, focusing on him for a few seconds before it shifts to the doors behind him. I could _maybe_ make it past him but now that he has Yamato it makes evading him far more difficult in the long run. "You wouldn't hesitate to kill someone if they did the same thing to me, Verge, and you know it!"

"You're right, but you're about to go kill someone who is currently innocent of what was done to me." I know that he's making a very valid point, one that I can't argue against, but it doesn't stop me from giving another growl. He puts Yamato away and takes a cautious step towards me, his hands raised and palms up.

I shift back a step only for a sharp pain to shoot up along my spine and I yelp as I lose my balance. Another, stronger burst of pain shoots up along my spine as I land on my ass and then everything goes black.


	4. It's Time To Rewrite

I dash across the foyer to my brother the very instant he yelps out in pain after having stepped on his own tail. It's almost as if he wasn't aware of the slender appendage, though I can't recall him ever having a tail in either of his Trigger forms from before. The addition is certainly surprising, along with the fact that he had managed to awaken without needing to be run through with Rebellion, and now he's hurt himself twice because of it. No cry of pain comes as he lands squarely on his tail right as I reach him, instead his entire form goes slack while his demonic features start to revert back to that of his human form.

Letting my own Trigger form revert I kneel beside my brother's unconscious form and frown when the process seems to halt for him, leaving him with claws, fangs, wings and a tail. It quickly becomes evident that it is not just him stuck in a sort of partial Trigger state because when my own demonic energy seems to stabilize I am left with the exact same demonic features. It is _worrying_ since this had never happened to us before, but then again we had been considerably older when we had first awakened. Could it be that our current bodies are unable to handle the demonic blood being active and is causing this partial transformation? As much as I want to scrutinize this Dante is the more pressing concern, especially since our clothes have reformed on us and he is unable to accommodate his extra appendages.

Footsteps echo from down the hallway as I gently roll Dante over onto his stomach, leathery crimson wings tucked to his sides, and quickly assess his clothes. His shirt has thankfully slid up on its own to allow for his wings but the pants are more problematic, having trapped his tail, which could possibly be broken with how he had landed on it. I have precious little time to make sure that he hasn't broken it before his regenerative abilities kick in so I shred the seat of his pants with my claws right as mother and father reach the foyer.

Mother gives a strangled gasp as she catches sight of us, possibly misconstruing what I am doing at first glance, but father stops her with a softly spoken, "Eva, wait." I spare them a brief look, mother's lips turned down into a severe frown while father is unsurprisingly curious, then return my attention to Dante and carefully pull his crimson-scaled tail out.

"Dante has never had a tail in either of his Trigger forms _before_." It is perhaps easier to start there and at the same time draw mother's focus onto our remaining inhuman features. "So he not only managed to step on it but also landed on it directly." I examine the appendage from spaded-tip to base, painstakingly feeling for even the most minuscule of breakage through touch alone. The task is made more difficult by the fact that my brother is unconscious, limiting my ability to assess the extent of the damage if there is any. I can only hope that our sturdier nature has mitigated or even outright prevented such an injury, but there will be no certainty of it until Dante wakes up. "While we do have phenomenal regenerative capabilities I do not trust them to heal every bit of damage we incur perfectly."

I spare them both another glance when they remain silent, mother's scowl tempered by an expression of understanding while father still has that air of curiosity. "My own initial form _also_ lacked a tail and I suspect that having forced our demonic blood out of dormancy so early has not only impacted the appearance of our forms but is much too strong for us to be able to fully revert back." At least this time my tail isn't protruding from the middle of my spine, which had been rather _interesting_. "It would seem that Dante still has an incredible amount of luck," I remark as I let go of his tail, unable to find anything that would suggest a serious injury, and lean back so that I'm sitting almost seiza. There is a twinge of discomfort from my own trapped tail, something I remedy without a second thought in regards to the presence of our parents.

"I will call the tailors tomorrow morning and see if they can come make some alterations," mother says wearily after a few seconds. Her resignation is clear, our sudden physical changes something that she is left with no choice but to accept. It will take her longer, if ever, to accept that we are mentally older. As for my admission that had brought us to this precise moment, I know by the way that she looks at me that she _wants_ to say something.

"I was eighteen and naïve enough to think myself untouchable, especially when it came to humans. They were weak, after all, and what could they possibly do to _me_, the half-demon son of the fabled Legendary Dark Knight? That it had happened at all had been a shock and, yes, I had been ashamed, but that quickly turned to anger and fear. Anger at myself for the fact that it had happened, that I had, in some way, been too weak to stop it, and fear that if this could happen to me then it could also happen to Dante." I cast my gaze back down at his still form, my fingers flexing briefly before I curl my hands into fists while my tail lashes behind me. "Why leave it out when it obviously had such an impact on me? Far worse things are to come and I felt it unnecessary to bring the matter up when it won't happen again as I have no intention of going anywhere near Fortuna and the Order of the Sword sycophants."

Mother gives a shuddering sort of inhale and leans into father for support, tears in her eyes as her expression twists with a new kind of grief. "Vergil…" Her voice trails off, pained and confused by my decision to leave this out until Dante had started prodding me in regards to Nero, and the look that she gives me is definitely wounded.

"Let me rephrase that; I have had twenty-five years to come to terms with it and discussing it further will only serve to upset you even more." To be more correct I had only come to terms with everything more recently through my bisection and through V's existence, but it was something that had been there throughout all those years, except the decade I had been _dead_. That time was completely lost to me, rather it was as if it simply didn't exist at all. There had been no sense of awareness in death, nothing to grasp on to, and I am only bothered by it for the simple fact of it being ten years that are just gone. Ten years that Dante had to live through while I had ceased to be.

Exhaustion comes over me with little warning, and for a few seconds I'm confused as to why I'm tired as I fight off a yawn. Even though I have Triggered hundreds of times before this had been the first time for my current body and the initial Trigger always consumes a lot of energy. The realization hits me as my eyelids droop and I start to tip forward, just barely catching myself from toppling over onto Dante. It is a struggle to stay upright, let alone awake, and as I start to fall over again it is into blackness.

I dream of nothingness, a vast gaping maw of blackness that just stretches on and on as far as the eye can see. It is neither warm nor cold, just a sense of being without touch, taste, smell and sound. It is disconcerting, yet almost as soon as I am aware of it the dream is gone and I am waking up encased in warmth. A very much alive warmth that is Dante.

He has decided to cling to me in his sleep, head tucked under my chin, legs tangled with my own, and a wing curled over my hip. My tail gives a twitch and it too has been entangled by my brother, his having entwined itself tightly around the last several inches of mine. There is little I can do to extract myself from our otherwise intimate position, and I honestly don't want to. It's been far too long since I've gotten to hold Dante so I stay put and bask in his warmth.

My brother starts to stir after several minutes, face nuzzling into my neck while he gives a sleepy purr. It doesn't last because Dante stiffens the moment he is fully awake and aware of his surroundings, his tail trying to lash to no avail. For several breathless seconds he does nothing and then he tries to push away only to find himself rather stuck. "Let me go!"

There is a sort of desperation to his voice, along with panic, and I can see that he doesn't even realize that he now has a few extra limbs to account for. "You have a wing wrapped around me," I say in a soft tone as I meet his frightened gaze. How odd it is that he looks so scared, but it is quickly replaced by confusion and disbelief. "We did not fully revert from our Trigger forms and were left with a few of our more demonic features."


	5. You Know That You Can Hurt Me

It has to be the first time in twenty-four years that I've slept without some form of nightmare plaguing me. In fact, I haven't slept so well since I had last shared a bed with Vergil, and that would make it twenty-five years. Twenty-five long years spent without the comfort of his touch, without the heat of his body next to mine, without the taste of him on my tongue. Words can't describe the ache I had felt when he had walked out on me for good without any warning when we had been eighteen, having spent almost two years together by that point. Two years of a love that had consumed me so completely that his leaving had nearly left me broken.

Temen-ni-gru had almost destroyed me, had honed the ache into a pain that nothing could soothe, and then Mallet… My worst nightmares are of my time on Mallet. Of having to fight the blackened angel time and time again only to discover the awful truth after the final blow had been dealt by my hand. I had killed Vergil, my brother, who I had assumed dead after his fall into the Underworld. The only person I loved with every breath in my body and every beat of my heart. I had been utterly shattered by Mallet—had taken years to finally accept that I would live an incomplete existence—only for my reason to truly live to return in one of the most fucked up of ways.

I had been prepared to kill the horror my brother had become but when I finally found myself standing before Urizen, that demonic part of him, I found myself unable to commit. I had hoped and wished that he would instead return to me, no matter how monstrous his form, until my hand had been pushed. I had almost killed him _again_ and then V—it should have been so fucking obvious—waltzed right on in for the _killing blow_. V, with that goddamn book and the poetry Vergil had so loved spilling from his lips—the human side of my brother that I had been too blind to notice until that moment—had swooped in and _changed_ everything.

_While thy branches mix with mine And our roots together join._ It is only half of the beginning stanza from Love and Harmony Combine which Vergil had offered to me in whole countless times as a profession of his love for me, to the point that it has been etched into my soul alongside his name. For V to have used those particular verses, it had shaken me in a way that I hadn't expected and I certainly hadn't expected how much it had hurt to hear it, even in part. Nor did I expect the sudden and overwhelming urge to fall into Vergil's arms as soon as he had reappeared whole and hale, as if nothing had ever happened. As if he hadn't left me two times over. As if his blood doesn't stain my hands.

So, yes, my first reaction upon waking up and realizing that I'm in his arms is to panic. That he had implied that he wasn't going to be leaving me isn't something that I can trust, not after everything I've endured. So, yes, my panic turns into terror when I can't push away from him like I want to. "Let me go!"

"You have a wing wrapped around me." Vergil's soft statement is just enough to cut through the terror consuming me, leaving me wholly confused. Why would I- "We did not fully revert from our Trigger forms and were left with a few of our more demonic features."

That's not-it shouldn't be possible, but a glance down at the _wing_ proves what Vergil is saying as much as I don't want to believe it. It weird, like I hadn't noticed it until my brother had pointed it out to me, but now that I'm aware of it I also notice something else. A feeling that I am completely unfamiliar with, a pressure that is oddly pleasant and not quite on my spine. I don't know how to interpret this new sensation, I care more about getting away from Vergil right now and quickly withdraw my wing from around him to put some distance between us.

"You're going to hurt yourself again." Vergil's warning has me faltering and keeps me from moving to the far corner of the bed, and at the same time I feel a sort of tug on the base of my spine. The pleasant pressure from before has changed, not quite pain but it has me falling flat on my face as my whole body goes weak. My brother sighs from behind me and I can feel him moving closer while the pressure on the base of my spine alleviates. "You also have a tail."

I am admittedly stunned at the news that I have a tail, a concept that is completely alien to me, but I don't know how else to process the sensations coming from _my tail_. I'm not sure how much I like it if it's gonna make me fall on my face with what had barely been a tug. A shiver runs up my spine as a far more delicate pressure is applied to my tail and I can't immediately parse just what the hell is going on, but I've regained enough strength to push myself up.

"Stay still, I'm almost done." For a second I actually contemplate the softly spoken command from Vergil, but then I realize what's happening and whip around anyways, my wings spreading out as I give a hiss. My tail, a long, whip-like and red-scaled thing, is all but ripped out of my brother's grasp and sweeps behind me where it lashes with my renewed anger. Vergil gives me a look that is pained as he puts some space between us. "Dante, I-"

"Save it," I snarl out, earning a flinch from my brother, my fingers briefly digging into the bedding with the sound of tearing fabric. For a few seconds he looks hesitant, eyes wide and imploring, before his expression steels with resolve.

"We _need_ to talk, Dante." If he's angry he doesn't show it, his voice calm and controlled while his gaze is steady and unblinking. I want to laugh at the thought of there being anything to talk about, the time for that long past, but Vergil is determined to be heard. "All I ever wanted was to keep you safe-"

"-but you weren't **strong** enough. I heard you loud and clear _yesterday_," I interrupt with a sneer, uncaring of whether or not that was the point that he's trying to make. "No, if we're going to talk, Vergil, let's talk about how you broke my goddamn heart with that shit! _You_ abandoned me! Not once, but twice! Dress it up however the fuck you want but it does not change the fact that you _left_! You left me and I assumed the worst! Nine years I thought you were as good as dead and then…" My voice trails off as all of the pain wells up inside of me, a lump starting to form in my throat. I try to swallow it down as best as possible, drawing in a shuddering breath that doesn't help at all, and push on. "I killed you... I _killed_ you and may as well have died with you on that day."

"Dante…" It comes out in a whisper, Vergil's expression becoming stricken while his eyes glint wetly. If he's going to apologize then I don't want to hear it. I can't do this again. As much as I still love him, as much as I want him, I just can't. It hurts too much.

"All I _wanted_ was to be with you. I would have done anything for you, I would have gone anywhere with you, but you never even gave me that chance and I…" My voice cracks, a warm wetness, tears, trailing down my cheeks. I give a sharp shake of my head then wipe at my eyes with the back of my arm. "I need to go." Before I spill my heart out to him even further.


	6. Hold Your Breath And Fall Apart

I had thought that maybe, just maybe, Dante would be willing to finally I hear me out, to let me explain that I hadn't been able to bear the idea of any sort of harm befalling him. Instead it was me who had hurt him far worse than any other was capable of, both physically and emotionally, and realizing that is far more crushing than the absolute fact that I had indeed abandoned him. That I had been wholly selfish and self-serving. That I had incorrectly assumed him to be far too human.

It should have been clear from the start that he feels emotions as demons do, as I do. Heightened to the extreme, beyond all rational thought and well out of the scope of what any language can possibly convey, never any less. So it should have been clear that his love for me is as boundless as mine is for him, that there would never be room for another in his heart, that we are the only ones ever able to complete one another.

He is justifiably angry at me, the pain that I had I inflicted upon him so deeply rooted, and it feels like no amount of apologizing would make up for what I've done. I can live with his anger, for it is no less than what I deserve, but-

"I need to go."

My heart constricts at those four words, the pain so acute that it feels as if I might die, and I move before I can even begin to process what I'm doing. With those four words the slim grasp I had on my emotions is completely severed, a keening wail escaping me as I barrel into Dante and send us toppling off of the corner of the bed. We land on the hardwood floor in a tangle of limbs, my brother taking the brunt of the fall, and I desperately cling to him with my face buried in his chest.

For several seconds Dante is still beneath me, his body stiff, and then at the slightest shift I tighten my hold on him, fearing that he's going to push me away. That he will leave me as I had left him, and as hypocritical of me as it is I cannot let him go. A violent tremble runs through me as his hands come to lightly rest on my shoulders, a sob issuing from me as I screw my eyes shut, expecting the worst. Instead of pushing me away he wraps his arms around me, the tension draining from his body, and he gives a softly muttered, "Damnit."

All that I had wanted to say prior is lost in the overwhelming surge of the emotions I had tried to suppress for so long, even going so far as to cast them off with my humanity, and all I can manage is an, "I'm sorry," that is whimpered out in between sobs. A short, simple phrase that will do little to ease the pain, but I speak it nonetheless. I absolutely mean it.

Dante gives a choked sob of his own, claws digging into the back of my shirt before his embrace tightens further. "I know," he whispers, voice cracked with the rawness of his pain, and curls his wings around me. It is an added comfort I know I don't deserve, much like I don't deserve my brother, but I am all the more grateful to receive. "Love and harmony combine And around our souls entwine, While thy branches mix with mine And our roots together join."

A lump forms in my throat at Dante's recitation of Love and Harmony Combine's first stanza, the very same that I had uttered to him time and again before I had left him. For him recite it to me now, after all of the pain and heartache he has suffered due to me, I truly do not deserve him. "Dante…"

"It hurt a whole hell of a lot, it still does, but I-" He pauses and I'm certain that he's worrying his lower lip without even needing to look up at him, his body giving a subtle quiver beneath mine. "-I still love you so damn much. I thought I could maybe deal with trying not to, that I could just go back to how it was before you returned, but it all hurts so much more without you, like-"

"-you can hardly think, let alone focus on anything else, and it feels like the air is slowly being stolen from your lungs. It feels like you're dying, endlessly, and it only worsens the longer your are away." I know how it feels all too well, having chosen to suffer it for myself, but I shouldn't have forced that upon Dante. "And when you are finally reunited you can breathe again, finally live again."

My twin goes silent for what feels like an eternity and then his arms loosen around me, his hands grasping at my arms. "Vergil, look at me." He speaks just barely above a whisper, claws briefly digging into my arms.

I lift my head up with a sniffle, my vision blurring temporarily as I open my eyes and gaze upon Dante. His eyes are reddened and puffy from crying, likely a perfect mirror of my own, tears clinging to his lashes. A worn smile flits across his face, marred by two and a half decades worth of grief, and he reaches up to push my sleep-tousled hair back. It is unexpected and touching all the same, bringing a ghost of a smile to my lips.

"I'm sorry too," he starts, fingers sliding back around to graze down along my jaw. "It hurt just as much for you, if not more, and I didn't want to acknowledge that." His touch lingers, the tips of his claws a feather-light press on my skin. "You always seemed like you were so fucking impervious, that nothing could move you, and I was wrong. You were moved by love."

It is so much more than that, my love for him just a mere piece of the puzzle. "You, Dante, I was moved by you, and have always been. You, my heart and soul, my everything, my motivation, my reason… I am alive, here and now, because of you." I had, as that twisted and corrupted remnant, wanted to fight Dante one last time, to defeat him and prove myself superior once and for all, but even that had been wrong. Though Mundus' control had long since been severed there had been some lingering affects, all of which are thankfully gone.

"God, Verge, you're so fucking extra sometimes," Dante says with a sniffle and a few more shed tears. "And don't you dare tell me you were dying." There's a bite to his voice with that one, and just underneath of it is fear.

"Then I shall not tell you." He gives me a heatless glare along with several more tears. "I am in no danger of dying, Dante, so cease your worrying."

"I think I will be keeping an eye on you after all," he grumbles out.

"Is that a promise, Dante?" There is a quick blink-and-you'll-miss-it flicker of surprise in his eyes at my question, and then the corners of his mouth twitch before a smile settles there.

"Yes, that's a promise, Vergil." His touch vanishes, hand dropping down to rest on his chest where my tears had soaked his shirt. "And you, promise me you won't leave me again."

"I promise to never leave you again, Dante." I drop my head back down onto his chest, trapping his hand there, and rub my cheek against the back of his hand. The temptation to close my eyes and bask in his scent is strong, but we are due to get up and-

"Boys, it's past time to wake up," father calls as he opens the door to my bedroom and sticks his head in. I have to wonder just how long he's been outside of the door and listening in because he spots us straight away where we're sprawled out on the floor by the foot of the bed at the far end of the room.

Though this is their house, and we their children, I find the intrusion into what I view as my domain to be a touch bothersome. A low growl of warning bubbles up in my throat and I lift my head up from Dante's chest to bare my fangs at father, my tail lashing.

Father merely chuckles, as though amused by my possessive display, then sends out a pulse of his power that makes me flinch and stops my growl short. "You still have quite a ways to go before that will have any sort of effect on me, Vergil." Yes, he is definitely amused, and quite proud. "Now get up and go take a bath, both of you. The tailor will be here soon."


	7. Together We're Here

"Dante, stop fidgeting," mom scolds as I shift from one foot to the other atop of the stool that I've been standing on for the past five minutes.

"It is fine, Milady," the tailor, a tall and pale-skinned _man_ with shoulder length black hair and eyes the color of blood, says with a smile that puts me on edge. "I'll be done soon enough." He pauses to glance over his shoulder at my brother who has been watching him closely the entire time.

"You're a demon, aren't ya?" I figure it's best to be blunt, drawing the tailor's attention back to me while Vergil flexes his fingers as if he's going to bring out Yamato.

"Dante, don't be rude!" Mom gives me a very thin-lipped scowl, and boy does she smell upset. "You're already on thin enough ice as it is."

"It is a legitimate question, Milady," the tailor states smoothly as my tail twitches. "I am a demon, yes, but of a different sort. I form contracts with mortals that pique my interest and they receive my services in exchange for their souls."

"So someone is currently holding your leash," Vergil states blithely, his fingers relaxing and his gaze meeting mine. "Otherwise you would not be here in this plane."

Mom's scowl deepens and she reaches up to rub at her temples with a slight huff, disbelief lacing through her scent. Behind her, watching all of this silently, is father, a faint smile curving his lips. He quickly schools his expression into something more neutral as mom turns to him. While I can't see the look that she's giving him I can probably guess that it is one of displeasure judging by the grimace that father gives.

"Indeed, though my current contract is…indefinite." The tailor's face briefly morphs into an expression that suggests that he's tasted something foul, irises a glowing fuchsia, and then it all smoothes out. "My master has little need of me and often leaves me to my own devices."

I tilt my head slightly, the tip of my tail flicking, then shift my gaze back to mom and father. They're still engaged in a silent exchange of some sort, with father looking more and more resigned. Giving my nose a wrinkle I turn my attention back to Vergil and find him still staring at me. "So you do this to occupy your time?"

"Among other things." How _vague_. The tailor gives me a bemused smirk to which I simply arch a brow in return as I flick my gaze back to him. "I've had nothing _but_ time to learn how mortals do things these past ninety-five years I've been contracted to my master, and he was very insistent that I do so back when he had been a mortal himself."

The thing with his master sounds like a sore point, one that shouldn't be pressed. "He a demon now or something?" I ask with a casual flick of my tail, a smirk pulling up the corners of my mouth when the tailor's eyes flash that glowing fuchsia again. Bingo. "Lemme guess, ya can't break the contract."

"My word is as binding as a blood oath," the tailor states in a calm voice, letting none of his displeasure and irritation seeping through. It is impressive considering how much he seems to hate being stuck with this master of his.

"That's enough, boys," Father calls out in a commanding voice. "Michaelis is here to provide a service and does not need you prying into his personal affairs."

Vergil narrows his eyes, clearly unsatisfied to leave things be, and I feel the same way, but pressing for more information will only lead to trouble for both of us. Instead, my brother gets down from the armchair and comes over to join us, purposely flanking the demon tailor. "Everything needs to be breathable and able to withstand being worn into a battle."

"As you wish." There is a flicker of interest in Michaelis's eyes and he gives Vergil a brief glance. It looks as if he wants to ask something but he seems to decide against it and finally drops his hands. "That should be all I need."

"Finally!" I jump back, off of the stool and give my brother a smirk. "Your turn, Verge."

"That will be unnecessary," Michaelis states, at which Vergil gives me a smirk of his own, his tail giving a lazy flick. "I have the measurements for both of you with all of the needed adjustments that are to be made."

So he could have just as easily taken measurements from Vergil instead of me is what he seems to be saying. Vergil who would have probably stood there like a statue while he was poked and prodded…and I find I do not like the idea of that. Not at all.

"Run along to breakfast, boys," mom says with a strained smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

Vergil neatly steps around the stool and grabs me by the hand, silently pulling me out of the sitting room and into the hallway. We're just barely out of sight of the archway when he comes to a stop and pulls me close to sniff at me. He gives a soft growl at whatever he finds, his tail lashing as his irises shift to a glowing scarlet, and wraps his arms around me. "His stench is on you," my brother hisses out and then the hallway around us _shifts_.

"Verge, we already had a bath," I comment as I take in the bathroom he's teleported us to. My brother gives a low growl as a response and lets go of me so he can start pulling my clothes, simple boxers and a tank top, off. He's wearing the exact same thing, which is completely beside the point, and he's not bothering to get undressed himself as he steers me towards the bathtub once he has me naked. "Is this really necessary?"

"Yes." Vergil's reply is very short, almost snappish, and comes as he positions me beside the tub. I watch in silence as he pulls away and moves to turn on the bathwater. He's set it to scalding hot apparently, steam quickly billowing up out of the tub and filling the bathroom. "Get in."

I almost want to argue against having to take another bath, this one hot enough that I'll soon be matching the color of my wings and tail, but the look Vergil gives me has me acquiescing. I flinch as I step into the too hot water, holding back a hiss, then slowly sink down. It's barely tolerable as the tub continues to fill, and it's only the pleased look that flits over my brother's face that keeps me from bolting.

The water is cut off once the tub is close to half full and I'm a decidedly pink color. Vergil, still very much in charge of the situation, grabs the damp washcloth from earlier along with the soap and sets about to washing me, thoroughly. Part of me enjoys the attention, a lot, but I'm also irritated at being made to take a second bath and I just want it over with. Thankfully my brother is as quick as he is thorough and has me cleaned to his exacting standards in a matter of minutes. "Wet your hair."

"Really?!" It comes out of its own volition, and I receive a glowing scarlet glare as my answer. I bare my teeth with a soft, half-hearted growl, letting my displeasure be known, and lean back to get my hair wet. "You're being ridiculous," I mutter as I straighten back up once my hair is sufficiently soaked.

"Did you not claim me as yours last night? You are mine as well and I will not tolerate the scent of another upon you, Dante," Vergil's tone is carefully measured as he pours a generous amount of shampoo onto my hair then starts working it into a lather.

"What about mom and father? You gonna make me do this every time they touch me too?" He doesn't respond at first, his fingers working down to my scalp where he gently massages the lathered shampoo in for a moment.

"No. They are our kin," Vergil finally says, withdrawing his fingers from my hair. "Rinse." I give a soft huff and do as he bids me only to resurface and find him waiting with a fresh towel for me. "Things will not be the same as they were before, Dante. I no longer have a need to hold back my instincts when it comes to you, nor will I keep anything from you."

I set the water to drain from the tub then climb out and into the towel, giving him a frown as I do so. "I find it hard to believe that you held back on anything." He certainly hadn't held back against me atop of Temen-ni-gru, or so I want to believe.

"I could list all of the things I never did, things that I probably should have done, but it would be better to just show you." Vergil pats me dry, the process taking a little longer than what I feel is necessary if only because he does my hair too. Once he's finished he sets the towel aside, draping it over the lip of the tub, then takes me by the hand and leads me out of the bathroom.

Father is standing right outside of the doorway, an impassive expression on his face, and I very nearly come to a stop. Vergil doesn't even pause, just pulls me along behind him as he goes around the tall and imposing figure of our father. "Your mother is beside herself because you are not where you should be."

"We will be there momentarily," Vergil tosses over his shoulder and I sneak a glance at father to find him watching us with a very faint upturn to the corners of his mouth.

* * *

"Where is your brother?" Mom's pissed. There's no getting around that. It's worsened by the fact that I'm the only one that showed up to breakfast, Vergil having taken off with a promise of coming back and a quick kiss to my cheek.

Sure, I had promised to keep an eye on him but something about his demeanor kept me from following after him. He was taking off to do something important, something that has my instincts intrigued. "I dunno." I frown down at the plate of food set before me, finding all of it unappealing when I know it's something I've eaten before.

"Dante." The note of warning in mom's voice has me looking towards her, my head tilting slightly as I give a slow blink.

"I really don't know. Demon stuff, I suppose." As much as I've embraced that side of me there is still a lot I don't know about. Vergil would, and I get the feeling that whatever he is doing is one of those things I have no knowledge of. I hadn't really cared before and now I'm coming to regret that.

Mom's lips thin at my lackluster answer while father just sits at the end of the table with a very odd expression on his face. He looks happy, for the most part, but there's also worry that shows itself whenever he glances at mom. It's…_curious_.

I frown at my plate again then push it away from me, unable to bring myself to even try and eat any of it. I ignore the sound mom makes, an angry little inhale that would no doubt be followed up by some sort of chastisement, but she doesn't get the chance. There's a crackle of energy and I twist around in my seat to peer around the back of the chair just as Vergil appears, splattered with blood and holding on to what looks like a carcass of some sort. I don't know why, but whatever creature he's killed and brought back looks far more appealing than the stuffed omelet and sautéed potatoes.

Vergil is watching me closely, almost like he's waiting for me to make a move of some sort, his posture completely rigid. I tilt my head slightly, looking from him to the carcass once more, then climb out of the chair to slowly approach him. He doesn't move, just continues watching me in silence as I come to stand in front of him and his kill.

It's clear that I have no idea as to what is happening, or why it feels so very important, but I follow my instincts and circle around both my brother and his offering. Once. Twice. A third and final time before I stop directly in front of Vergil and make a soft noise, almost a chirp, as my tail gives a happy wave. The effect on my brother is immediate, the tension vanishing as relief floods his scent and his expression. While I'm no closer to understanding what just happened, and is still going on, I've apparently done something right judging by Vergil's reaction.


	8. But You Seem To Like The Result

It was a risk to go out and hunt for my brother, to bring him back an offering when he wouldn't even understand the meaning behind the gesture. His knowledge on demon behaviors and etiquettes is woefully lacking, but his instincts… Dante's instincts are apparently pleased by my effort and it is enough of a comfort that I let myself relax. I bask in the rapturous smile that he gives me, his tail still wagging away behind him, then give a slight inclination of my head as I step aside.

Dante tilts his head, gaze going from me to the gutted and skinned boar, then the air shifts around him as he makes a near seamless transition into his Devil Trigger. In a flash the ruby-scaled demon that is my brother pounces on the top of the corpse and sinks his teeth into the meat. He tears into it with a moan, tail going from side to side, and I can't help but smile at his reaction.

"Dante, no!" Mother's shout shatters the idyllic moment, making my brother pause and twist around to look towards her, his tail starting to tuck between his legs like he's done something wrong. He simultaneously drops out of Devil Trigger with a confused cry, his gaze shifting from mother to me as tears well up in his eyes.

Rage surges through me and I turn around with a snarl to find mother out of her seat moving toward us. Father appears behind her, his arms circling around her waist, while I crouch low with the intention to defend my brother and his meal. The shift to my Devil Trigger comes easily, my wings flaring open as I bare my fangs with another snarl and wait.

"Eva, you just interrupted Dante's acceptance of Vergil's courtship gift," Father whispers low and urgently while tightening the hold he has on mother's waist. She gives a start at that, understanding dawning in her eyes as she looks at me and then at Dante.

My brother whines softly from behind me and I quickly respond to it with a low croon that will hopefully reassure him while keeping my gaze on Mother. She follows our exchange, her lips pressing together as her brow furrows, then slowly sinks back into the hold father has on her. I remain where I am, crouched and ready to attack, as father slowly guides her back to the table. Only once they are both seated do I whirl around to find that my brother has distanced himself from the barely touched boar meat.

Dante gives a cry of distress the moment my gaze returns to him, his wings tightly folded against his sides and his tail fully tucked between his legs. The sight makes my blood boil all over again but I can't give in to my anger. Right now Dante needs to be comforted and reassured that he's done nothing wrong, and then I can address mother's unintentional reaction. As knowledgeable as she might be on demons she is still only human, and her reaction had been that of a human's.

I ease out of my crouch, still maintaining my Devil Trigger, and close the few steps that are between us with a soft croon. He immediately presses into me for comfort, giving a high-pitched whine, and tucks his head under my chin. It takes several minutes for him to relax and another several minutes for me to finally guide him back over to the boar carcass, coaxing him with low-pitched coos and croons. He still seems resistant to even touching the meat, despite how much he stares at it with such longing, so I take matters into my own hands and slice some strips of it off with my claws.

Dante hesitates with the first strip that I bring to his mouth, pale blue eyes wide in their stare. It takes him several seconds to even open his mouth and shyly nibble at the very end of the piece of meat, small motes of glowing crimson appearing within that pale blue shade of his irises. After several tentative nibbles, and a gentle croon from me, he takes a sizable bite, almost half, from the strip of meat. He shifts back into his Devil Trigger as he gulps down the remaining half then purrs and chirps while nuzzling against me.

I give a purr of my own and return his affectionate nuzzles, relieved to see him happy again and, more importantly, eating. He consumes the remaining strips eagerly, chirping after finishing each one, then very quickly pounces back onto the boar carcass of his own volition. I wait a full minute, watching him as he eats, then sharply turn back to the table. Mother and father are still seated there, watching us, a distinctly ashen pallor to mother's skin. My tail lashes behind me once, a display of my simmering irritation, and then I slowly make my way over to the table as I revert to my mostly human form.

"For all the knowledge you retain on demons, you are still only human. For all of the knowledge you gleaned from father in the course of your relationship with him, you are still only human. You can not grasp the full depth of father's or any other demon's emotions, for they are beyond human comprehension. Now amplify that exponentially, for that is what human blood does to demons, and you will barely scratch the surface of what it is like for hybrids such as Dante and myself. There is no limit to what _we_ feel and it is very important to remember that when I say that I _love_ Dante, and that it is very, very mutual." I do my best to maintain a veneer of calm, my voice evenly pitched as I speak. Mother flinches, almost imperceptibly, and goes even paler with the gravity of my admission, understanding dawning immediately in her expression. "In the two years that we were together I never exposed Dante to my demonic nature out of the foolish misconception that he was too human, that he wouldn't understand. A mistake on my part, one that I regret the most and am seeking to rectify. So I will be courting him as a demon, treating him as a demon would and exposing him to those particular things we should have been taught but weren't. Finally, once we are the appropriate age I will be claiming him as my mate regardless of whether you approve or not."

Mother breaks her gaze away from mine, still ashen-faced and choosing to remain silent, and bows her head forward, her shoulders hunching slightly as she makes herself try to appear smaller. It is a consciously made gesture, a wordless concession, one that I hardly expect from her. It is enough to appease my instincts and I turn away sharply, my tail giving a single flick, to return to my brother.

Dante acknowledges the return of my presence with a soft croon then trills out an invitation for me to come and eat with him. It is a rare courtesy, even rarer considering that this is the very first kill I've offered to him, but he has put out the invitation and I am not going to turn it down. I answer with a croon of my own, shifting back into my Devil Trigger, and come up alongside him. He makes space for me immediately, preening slightly as I take a bite out of some of the choice meat that he purposely left for me. He waits patiently, intently watching and making sure that I have consumed several mouthfuls before he resumes eating.

By the time we're both full we've eaten almost half of the boar and Dante is content enough to collapse on the floor with the intention to sleep. Even more is that he has decided that I am to curl up with him, giving a loud yowl when I fail to immediately lay down beside him. He gives me a particularly offended look until I'm exactly where he wants me, curled up behind him and with a wing folded over him. His mood shifts instantaneously, a purr bubbling up in his throat while his tail wraps around one of my legs, almost as if on purpose, and then just like that he's asleep.

Never mind that we're both in need of another bath. Never mind that there is still a half-eaten boar carcass barely even a foot away from us, needing to be cleaned up. Never mind the fact that mother and father are still at the table.

I'm not even tired…

* * *

I slowly crack my eyes open to find myself still curled around Dante, who has somehow managed to turn around and tuck himself against me. We're both still messy from our meal but regardless of that we've been put back in my bed. A feat no doubt made difficult by the fact that Dante's tail has tangled around both of my legs, trapping me to him.

Dante whines when I try to move and presses against me more firmly while his tail tightens around my legs. All while asleep. He settles down when I go still, an airy purr in his throat, and after the span of a few heartbeats his tail loosens its hold. I almost want to roll my eyes at him and his ridiculousness but I am here because I want to be, so I let him sleep and I watch over him.


	9. Awake With You Is Better Than A Dream

It's almost like something out of a dream, being able to wake up with Vergil curled around me every morning. A dream that is my reality now, one that I would kill for to keep safe, filled with unfettered happiness and love. He is usually already awake and watching over me, only this time he's still asleep. I know that he doesn't get as much sleep as I do, that he always goes to sleep after me and always wakes up before I do, so I'm content to lay here and just look at him.

Vergil's face is drawn into a quasi-peaceful expression in his sleep. In fact, his expression looks _blank_, almost fitting for some sort of statue, or even that of a _puppet_. I hate this neutral, blank expression that never appears in his wakefulness. I hate it for what it implies, for what I instinctively know to be the cause. _Mundus_. Always that damnable demon who had seen fit to destroy our lives, who had set us on our paths. Even now, well before that first attack he will make against us, he is still poisoning my brother. Still affecting him.

He stirs after a few minutes and it's like watching him come to life, his eyelids flickering while his expression gains a softness to it. A sound, just at the lower end of my hearing range, escapes him as he shifts closer to me and tucks his face against my neck. The wing that he has curled around me tightens, molding to the shape of my body, in a way that feels possessive. After a few seconds something wet, his tongue, runs along the side of my neck and I find myself tilting my head so that it gives Vergil better access.

I close my eyes and purr as he continues licking at every exposed part of my neck and throat, the tip of my tail twitching. There is something incredibly soothing about this act, something that inexplicably appeals to the basest part of me. So when Vergil nudges me I roll onto my back with a chirp and expose the rest of my neck to him. He moves over me, pinning me down, and resumes laving my skin with his tongue.

"Boys, it's time to-Vergil! Get off of your brother right now!" Mom's raised voice breaks through the quiet of our bedroom and has the opposite effect on my brother. He lifts his head enough to regard mom where she stands in the doorway and gives a low hiss with his fangs bared. His tail, twisted around my own, tries to lash while he presses down against me. Mom starts to shrink back before she catches herself and squares her shoulders, spine straightening so that she's at her full height. "Vergil, remove yourself from your brother right now."

"Mom, it's okay. He was just licking my neck," I manage to get out before Vergil gives another hiss. He's so upset that he's starting to change to his full demon form and I don't even think. I just act, lifting my head up and running my tongue along the side of his neck. The shift in his demeanor is immediate, his focus returning to me with a soft croon that is encouraging me to continue.

"Just licking, no biting?" Mom's voice has a note of urgency in it as she asks her question, like it makes a difference between the two.

"Mm, just licking," I answer before running my tongue over another section of Vergil's neck, prompting my brother to purr and roll us so that I end up on top of him. He tilts his head back, exposing the whole of his neck to me, with a chirp while his wing uncurls from around me and flops open on the bed. I dip my head down and start licking at the rest of his neck, his wings twitching and fluttering with each swipe of my tongue.

"I was wondering when they would start scent marking each other," dad's voice drifts over from where mom is still in the doorway. His presence is muffled so that he doesn't disturb us and he doesn't dare to step past that threshold into our room. "I am pleased with how strong their instincts are."

"I fear that their instincts may be too strong," mom states softly in a way that seems like we shouldn't hear it. I ignore her in favor of Vergil and the purr he's giving as I _scent mark_ him.

Once I finish I stay where I am, curling up on top of my brother with a soft trill. He answers me with a low croon and wraps his arms around me, signaling his own contentment with our position. I can't hear or sense mom and dad anymore, which is probably dad's doing, and that's perfectly fine by me.

"You handled that perfectly," Vergil murmurs softly after a few beats of silence, making me lift my head up to look at him. He briefly considers my questioning gaze, his expression growing serious. "There will be times that I am overtaken by my instincts and to keep me from lashing out at others you will need to draw my focus onto yourself."

"Why me?" The question feels kinda dumb, the answer all too obvious. Still, Vergil gives me a faint smile.

"You're my mate, regardless of our current physical age, so I will prioritize you above all else no matter what." It's like something clicks in my mind when he says that word, _mate_, and it brings a purr to my throat. Vergil chuckles lowly, a fuller smile curling his lips, and he slides his hands up along my back. "You like the sound of that, huh? My mate."

If I had thought I was happy before to wake up with my brother curled around me… It can't even compare to what I'm feeling now. "Yes," I chirp and drop my head back down to nuzzle at his neck. This right here, _this_ feeling brought on by that one word, is what I would kill for to protect. "All yours."

He reciprocates with a purr of his own, his wings coming up off of the bed to wrap around me again, both this time. "And I am yours too, my beloved mate."

I want to stay like this, with his chin resting against the top of my head and almost dozing but the sound of footsteps out in the hall pierce through the quiet. "Sounds like we should really get up." There is a note of sourness in my voice because I don't want to move, I don't want to give up this moment.

"We should seeing as we start lessons today with the tutor that mother managed to find," Vergil says but doesn't make a single motion to let go of me or to get up himself. Instead he shifts the angle of his head so that his jaw can rub along the top of my head. "But first is breakfast."

The mention of breakfast has me perking up immediately because it means that Vergil will be going out to hunt, as he had been doing for every meal this past week. "Can I come with?" It's the first time I've asked and part of me expects him to scoff and say no, to tell me that I would only get in the way.

"I was wondering when you would ask," Vergil says as he uncurls his wings from around me. My shock must be evident enough because he gives a low, throaty chuckle and brings a hand up to trace his claws along my jaw. "Did you think I would say no, Dante? That you'd get in the way? Little brother, I _want _you to come with."

I must be missing something. "Why wait until I ask to come with if you wanted me to come along in the first place?"

"Because there are certain aspects to what I am doing that must be taken at your pace and not mine." Leave it to my brother to give a rather vague answer. What happened to him not keeping anything from me?

Maybe I just need to keep pressing for answers. "And what exactly are you doing?"

"I'm courting you," he answers with a smile, giving a slight show of his fangs, and then he rolls us so that I'm back on the bed. "You should hurry up and get dressed."

I huff as he teleports off of the bed to go get changed out of his nightclothes and stay where I am for the moment as I process his answer. It shouldn't come as a surprise that he is courting me, this being one of those things he had probably wanted to expose me to in our previous life, but I find myself more puzzled than I am surprised. What exactly does a courtship entail?

"Don't make me come and drag you out of the bed, Dante," Vergil calls from across the room. He's already dragged me out of bed once before, though he had thankfully avoided doing so by my wings and my tail, so I know that he _will_ do it again.

"I'm coming! Don't get your tail all twisted." I climb out of the bed, like a normal person, then head over to our shared wardrobe where he's already half dressed. "So, this courtship thing…"

"What about it, little brother?" He glances at me from his peripheral, barely even pausing as he finishes getting dressed.

"Can you explain it to me?" I quickly shed my nightclothes, which Vergil gathers up with his own to put them in the dirty laundry hamper, and start getting dressed.

"Well, to start, you need to understand that we are not a typical example of a normal demon pair. Full-blooded demons are gender fluid, taking whatever gender pleases them at the moment." He pauses here, giving a thoughtful little hum as he turns and watches me. Weighs his words carefully. "Courtships and matings among demons are done with siring strong offspring in mind. We, as half-demons, are stuck with the gender that we are born with but that and having children was never even a thought for me. All I have ever wanted was you, Dante."


	10. I'm Not A Puppet Under Control

Covering every little intricacy within demon courting would have taken far longer than the time we have for breakfast, and while mother and father have granted us certain leniencies over the past week to let us adjust to our demonic features—truth be told mother needed to adjust to us—we are expected to continue our schooling. Gone will be a number of those leniencies. Our days will be filled to the point that we will have little time to ourselves. It was better to list off the varying subjects and let Dante choose one for me to go over while we ate, or that had been the plan.

I hadn't expected Dante to be so enthusiastic with his acceptance of a meal that he had watched me bring down. The feel of his teeth on my neck sends my instincts into overdrive and I pin him down with a low growl. He coos and trills at me, unaware of what that slight nip meant, then exposes his throat to me. I know that I shouldn't, that he's unwittingly inviting me to do something we shouldn't be partaking in until we're of age, but I'm finding it much harder to stop myself than usual.

Dante goes completely limp with a soft moan as I sink my fangs into his throat, his instinctual reaction a perfect one. His blood—god, it's so sweet—fills my mouth and I swallow it down greedily with a purr. After a moment I slowly ease my fangs from his flesh, savoring every drop of his blood, and lap at the wound while it heals. A shiny white scar in the shape of my bite is left behind, the mark permanent and serving as undeniable evidence that he belongs to me.

I shift my attention to his mouth, claiming it in a bruising kiss that he returns, his fingers coming up and curling into the fabric of my shirt. He parts his lips at the slightest pressure from my tongue, yielding to me beautifully with a muffled moan while his eyes slide shut. My prior apprehensions and doubts all slip away, the decision to score my tongue on one of his fangs an easy one. His reaction to my blood is immediate, his eyes snapping open to reveal glowing crimson irises and he gives a low growl as he latches onto my tongue.

Our energies crackle in the air, sparks and bolts of blue and red passing between us as we both fully Trigger. I'm so wrapped up in Dante and his sweetening scent as he feeds on my blood through our kiss that I fail to notice father's approach. I don't notice him until the nape of my neck is seized in a vice-like grip that forces me out of my Trigger and has my body going completely slack. Father's snarl rings in my ears, drowning out Dante's indignant screech as I am bodily ripped off of him and held up in the air.

Dante is caught up in the same vice-like grip by the nape of his neck as he tries to attack father, forcing him out of his own Trigger state, at which he yowls angrily. His tail lashes, the only true movement either of us can make with this hold father has on us that is different somehow from the one he had used on Dante prior, and he goes from yowling to snarling. I join him and bare my fangs at father with a deep growl, at which father regards us with narrowed eyes, his pupils thin slits of black surrounded by a brightly glowing red.

"Silence!" He roars at us both and releases the full force of his energy upon us while his human guise drops away. The weight of it is beyond suffocating, making me dizzy while my ears start ringing and my vision goes gray. I do my best to fight off the effects of father's energy, to maintain my consciousness, but I can't even muster up any of my own and quickly succumb, darkness swallowing me within seconds.

"_What happened?"_ Mother's voice is faint, as if traveling across a great distance, and there is a distinct note of worry in it.

"_They were kissing and exchanging blood_," father states in a low voice that sounds closer than mother's. _"And…_"

"It's not his fault!" My consciousness fully returns as Dante snarls out those words from somewhere to my left. I try to shift as I open my eyes and find myself incapable of moving beyond turning my head, held fast to a dining room chair by some sort of invisible force. My brother is in the very same predicament, growling at mother as she forcefully tilts his chin up to expose the scar I had given him.

I see red and give a low growl of my own, my fangs fully bared, as she reaches out to touch it, alerting her to the fact that I have awoken. She pulls her hand away with a subtle flinch then turns towards me, her expression twisting into a deep scowl as she looks at me. "Do not touch my mate," I snarl out while I frantically struggle against my invisible bonds.

Her lips thin, anger darkening her eyes for a brief second, and then she steps towards me. "What you did is beyond inappropriate, Vergil," she states harshly, her voice just above a whisper. "I expected much better from you and now I have no choice but to take extreme measures."

I hiss at her in response and try to summon my energy to Trigger only for it to fizzle out. Whatever has been done to us to keep us in place has also ensured that we can't force our way out no matter what. While father had his own method to suppress our Triggers _this_ is different. _This_ reeks of mother's warding.

"Are you sure that this is for the best, Eva?" Father says from somewhere behind me, his voice carrying across the dining room. There is a touch of remorse in his tone, something I find strange even through the haze of my anger. "They would have-"

"I am not prepared to lose _my_ children any more than I already have!" Mother snaps out, her choice in words actually giving me pause. "They will grow up like they should!"

"The fuck is that supposed ta mean?" Dante asks angrily, catching on to the fact that there is something that they don't want us to know.

"Dante! Watch-"

"My mouth. Yeah, no, fuck that. Yer hidin' somethin' from us and I hate it when people hide shit from me," Dante growls out as he interrupts mother, making her flinch in surprise. "Me an' Verge _will_ find out what it is yer hidin'."

"Both of you were about to undergo an age acceleration process so that you would be able to consummate the bond that your brother started by biting you. I halted it before it could start…" Father's voice trails off and as it does I go numb at first. Then the rage kicks in.

"How dare you make that decision for us!" I roar and try to draw on my energy again. It crackles slightly before fizzling out once more but I have no intention of giving up. I will continue to fight until these damned wards holding me in place and keeping me from Triggering will break. I will-


End file.
